YONGIN, South Korea - In her tiny apartment in South Korea, where she lives alone, 78-year-old Bang Chun-ja spends her days with a childlike AI-powered doll she says she prefers to people.
The doll greets Bang when she returns home, sings to her when she feels bored, reminds her not to skip meals or medication — helping her maintain a routine — and tells her it loves her.
Bang has limited contact with her grown-up daughter, and fell into severe depression after major back surgery, spending hours alone staring at the ceiling in pain.
